It all begins with a question

Will this provide joy or the space for joy to exist?

We developed a design process that centers the joy of the communities we’re working with. All of the new experiences and systems we implement are rooted in expressions of this joy.

We seek to reframe how we value joy in the food system. Joy is a source of power for our communities — a way to connect us to one another in order to create a more just society. How might food experiences change if they were designed to provoke joy? How might food policies and institutions be different if we aspired towards a joyful society? How might we see those for whom we are designing for differently if we understood their joy? What could become of the world if we centered joy when designing our food systems?

Joyful Design

We utilize a design process to develop, build and implement new ideas in the food system that center the joy of the communities we are working with.

Joy, as defined by the Oxford Companion to Emotion and the Affective Sciences, “involves a state of positive affect, in which one experiences feelings of freedom, safety, and ease.” Designing with a focus on joy involves a thoughtful and intentional process that centers around the community's expressions of joy and in turn, the experiences that provide a sense of freedom, safety, and ease. Design outcomes align closely with the community's values and experiences of joy.

  • Reflection provides the time and space for intentional understanding. Through exercises and prompts, we take the time to cultivate understanding of ourselves and the world around us. This awareness provides pathways to new insights and ideas.

  • By taking time to imagine the world we are trying to build, we can then develop more effective ideas, strategies, and systems to support and sustain our end goals.

  • When we witness joy, we are seeing an expression of freedom, safety, and ease. Joy is incredibly personal, but we can make space for it to exist through experiences and interactions that remove barriers and welcome people in. Take time to reflect and ask how might joy exist in this moment? What is needed in order to feel a sense of freedom, safety, and ease?

  • The A3C’s were developed by Angela McKee-Brown and are informed by over a decade of food systems work. The A3Cs are used to spark ideas and check the efficacy of designs. They consist of:

    • Abundance—Is there enough for the user to enjoy and still enough to share with others?

    • Confidence—Will the user be able to trust the concept?

    • Consistency—Is the concept able to be adaptable and last through the good times and the bad?

    • Care—Will the user feel cared for and supported by the concept?

  • After implementing designs, we engage in a reflective process to assess their impact. This involves conducting an assessment that utilizes data to understand how the designs have influenced the intended outcomes.